Code Blue
by Monstra Steele Grey
Summary: Three years ago, Ana Steele had a one-night stand with a man with no name. Feeling lost and conflicted, she goes through her life wondering of his absence, until he calls her work asking to meet up. Will she accept another chance with Christian Grey, or will his departure tear them apart for good?
1. Prologue

_I'm spent and in his arms, trying hard to bring my breathing under control. _

_"__You sure know how to show a girl a good time", I breathe. The man flashes me a wicked grin and I giggle in response. _

_"__I would say you're worth it", he smirks and I blush at his words. God, he's hot. _

_"__Hopefully next time we'll be sober when this happens." _

_"__Why is that?" _

_"__Because you gave me a night unlike anything else. I just want it to be a lot more memorable." _

_"__I can arrange that; on one condition." _

_"__Oh?", I ask as I arch an eyebrow. _

_"__You sit on top…and let me watch you from below." I gasp at his request and watch as he leans forward and kisses me again. _

_"__My pleasure, Mr. Grey. Anything for you." _

I wake breathing heavily, once again contemplating the dream I've had for the past few years. Three years had passed since I saw him last, the last man I ever felt a connection with…that left me without so much as a goodbye. I never learned his first name, or where he worked, and all-too-soon, he left me a mess. I've never experienced a night like that since, but I still can't help but wonder why he left the way he did. What we did was, amazing, but overall I knew it was too good to be true. If I had learned his name, maybe things might be different. But I'm used to men leaving, and Mr. Grey is no exception for my encounters. At least I didn't get too deep for the fall.

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Ana. _

Shaking my head at the memory, I rub my face in an attempt to erase the dream from my mind, sit up and place my head in my hands. Why did I let him get under my skin like that? Kate threw a party to celebrate her engagement to Elliot, a close friend of ours, and we ended up at a club where I met Mr. Millionaire himself.

He was attractive—_very_ attractive—tall, perfectly toned to where it was obvious he worked out. He told me he was a businessman, although I don't remember what kind to be honest, and that Elliot just happened to be his brother. Of course, Elliot never mentioned that but quite frankly, I was too drunk to care.

After our introduction at the club, I started to feel dizzy and Mr. Grey helped me stand on my feet. Once I sobered up, I was met with an unusual attraction that I hadn't felt in a long time, and the next thing I knew, he was taking me upstairs. Talk about a compelling meeting; one I wasn't expecting to face.

We…bonded, and when I woke up the next morning, I saw that he was gone. I tried to find him, even asked Elliot and Mia, his sister, for clues but neither one of them could give me what I needed. So, I gave up, met with other men, fell in-love once or twice, and haven't seen Mr. Grey for over three years come September. Kate advised me to let him go and forget about it, but how was I supposed to when he gave me the most magical night of my entire life? Something that made me forget about everything.

Feeling frustrated and confused, I decide I've had enough sleep and decide to get ready for work. SIP is advertising a new author and my friend, Hannah, wants me to consult. Grabbing my confidence, I pick up a nearby dress hanging on a chair—no doubt left by Kate before she left—and head for the shower, desperately hoping to wash away my pain.

**I** drive my Beetle, Wanda, up at SIP, lock the car, and head inside. I head for the elevators, enter the security code, and walk inside once the doors open. The elevator stops temporarily as an older woman—English, I think, and one of the editors—steps inside and the doors close again. I nod my hello in her wake—I think she gets me—and she smiles in return. Once we reach my floor, I allow her to exit first and head straight for my office, where Hannah is waiting outside.

"Ana!", she exclaims, hugging me as she does. Hannah has been my friend for about five years now and is one of the people that helped me after Mr. Grey left my side and left my life. I hug her back tightly, happy to see a friendly face, and watch as Boyce Fox, the author we're advertising, steps into my view.

"Hey, Ana. Thanks for coming", he beams, shaking my hand as he does. I started reading his work about a year or so ago and honestly, he's one of the best things to ever happen to SIP. After some bad press about God-knows-what, we brought him in for a spark which then ignited into full-on success. After all the buzz, he became one of my closest friends and honestly, much like Kate, has helped with my one-night fiasco.

"Boyce, you know I work here", I joke.

"I know but this"—he says before waving his hand at his surroundings—"it's bigger than I expected."

"Well, you deserve it. Just remember me when you make it big."

"You can count on that."

Just then, Jack, my boss, exits his office and motions for my attention. Excusing myself, I head his way and after receiving his permission, enter the room.

"What is it?", I ask once I close the door.

"Some guy's on the phone for you. Said it's urgent." Furrowing my brow at this request, I pick up the phone and answer the call.

"Hello?", I ask, uncertain of who's on the other side.

"Ana Steele?", he answers. _Why does that voice sound familiar? _

"Yes, this is she."

"It's Christian Grey…we need to talk."


	2. Chapter One

Every hair on my body stands to attention. _What the…? How did he get this number?_

"Good to hear from you again, Mr. Grey…after three years", I reply, uninterested.

"Please, let me explain", he responds.

"Explain what?"

"If you meet me at the coffee shop across the street, I'll elucidate what I can."

"You're kidding me, right? Why would I wanna meet with you?"

"I don't expect you to, but I wanna try. Please, Miss Steele."

After a beat, I take a deep breath and let out a long sigh. I don't know why I'm talking to this man but at the same time, I wanna know why he left. If I can finally get some closure with him maybe my nocturnal nightmares can disappear with my anxiety. Why did I ever let someone get under my skin like this?

"Fine. When?"

"When you get off work?"

"Okay. I'll see you then", I reply and hang up.

"What was that all about?", Jack asks. _Shit. I never told him about this._

"Just a fling…from three years ago. I had a one-night stand with Christian Grey." Jack's eyes widen at my comment. _Yeah, I know…_

"Tell me about it. Apparently, he wants to rekindle."

"For sex?"

"I don't know but it must be something."

"Well, let me know how it goes but if he gets out of line, I'll kick his ass." Jack's comment makes me laugh.

"I know. You're good at that. So, what on Boyce Fox?"

**At** precisely 6:45pm, I finish up with Boyce and gather my things. He isn't exactly too thrilled about my "date" but when I explained the situation, he eventually gave in.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?", he asks as I lock up SIP.

"Not really but I have no choice. This guy left me after one night and ever since then, I've been wondering why."

"And you're sure it's him?"

"What?"

"Are you sure it's Christian Grey?" His comment causes me to arch an eyebrow, wondering why he would be asking me this now.

"Of course I am. Everyone knows Christian Grey."

"Just checking. Listen, I gotta meet with José about the book but once you're done with Mr. Hot Shot"—he smirks—"then let me know."

"Alright, Boyce", I remark as I give him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck", he whispers.  
"Don't need it", I wink and turn on my heel to head for the coffee shop.

**I** sit waiting. Waiting. Wondering idly if I made the wrong mistake. I left this woman three years ago and now here I am, waiting for her to return to my life. When's the last time I was this nervous?

_Never. _

_Fuck. _

_What am I gonna say? _I'm sorry? Take me back? It's a long story? _Shit._ I shift in my seat, contemplating what I'm going to say and how I'm going to say it. If she knew why I left, then she'd never look at me the same way again.

**As** I enter the shop, I look around to see if I can remember what Christian Grey looked like. He was lean, clean-shaven, and gray-eyed with copper hair. If memory serves me, he was ridiculously hot. As I check my surroundings, I look over at a corner table and my heart stops; it's him, but not as I remember. He's still in perfect shape but his hair is longer, he hasn't shaved for at least a week, and his body is a lot more muscular than I remember. Honestly, he's gotten better over time.

_Focus, Ana. Focus. _

Taking a deep breath, I gather my confidence, take the first step, and head in his direction. Once he sees me, he immediately stands looking every bit the non-innocent man.

"Miss Steele", he addresses.

"Mr. Grey. Long time no see", I retort, arching a brow.

"Please, sit", he says gently as he stands and pulls my chair out for me. _Hmm, chivalrous._ I sigh deeply and reluctantly sit down. _This better be good._

"Okay. What's this about?", I ask. I'm eager to get down to business and knowing him, I want this more than ever.

"Listen, you have every right to be mad at me…", he starts.

"Obviously", I interject.

"But it had nothing to do with you."

"Really? You take me upstairs, fuck me, and then leave the next day? How is that irrelevant?"

"Because I had no choice."

"What do you mean you had no choice."

"Miss Steele…"

"Ana."

"Ana. I've never been in a situation where I left a woman behind, simply because I don't expect them to last."

"So?" _Where's he going with this?_

"So, I have commitment issues, something that had nothing to do with you. But…"

"But what?" He rakes a hand through his hair before speaking. _Is he really that nervous? _

"But something came up. You see, nobody knows this but I had some problems back when I met you, which caused me to leave since some people were looking for me."

"You were on the run?"

"More or less, yes."

"But what was going on?"

"It's hard to say but, I just wanted you to know that I didn't leave because of you."

"Then why are you telling me this now?"

"Because…I want you back."

"What?"

"I would like to try again."

"But I don't see how. Look, I believe you to some degree but that doesn't change the fact that you left me. Without even giving an illumination as to why. How am I supposed to get over that? I've never had a man leave me the way you did."

"I know but I had no choice."

"The hell you didn't! Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights I had because of you? How many times I asked myself why you left me behind? You left me a mess!"

"I know I did and I'm sorry, but I want to make things right if you just give me a chance."

"Why? Why would you want that?" He sighs deeply before giving me an answer.

"Because it wasn't just you that had a great night." As he says this, I gape in response.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. After I left, I knew I made a mistake. And, yell at me if you want, but I never forgot about you after that night. Not even for a second. After all these years, I wanted to get you back."

"What's the catch?"

"Nothing. I just want to give this another chance."

"Are you sure about that? Look, I'm sorry for you, I really am, but how can you expect me to believe you when you said you never forgot? You didn't call, write, whatever the fuck you want, and I was left with the guess that I did something wrong. How can I consider for one second that you're telling me the truth?" As I say this, I can hardly believe that I'm almost yelling at this man in a public shop, even when he left my life almost four years ago. As I stare at him waiting for an answer, he sighs, weighing in on my words—I think—until finally he reaches in his jacket and pulls out a piece of paper, folded up nicely and about an inch thick. He hands it to me and waits a moment for me to accept. I unfold, careful not to rip it, and start to read. It's a letter; a letter to me.

"I must've written it about a dozen times", he shrugs.

"Christian…", I begin but he holds up his hand before I can finish.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but please just give me a chance. I know it won't be easy but I am willing to try. Trust me, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."

"It feels like you already did", I whisper. Christian glances down at the table and looks up at me with remorse in his eyes.

"Do you want me to leave? I can go if you want me to." I gape at his words, completely fathomless with what to say.

**I **gaze at her, holding on a precipice waiting for her response. I gave her a fucking speech when I just wanted to keep it plain and simple. _Shit._ Maybe I scared her off. Why the fuck am I trying so hard?

_Because you want more. _

_After just one night? _

Shit. Am I really that old-fashioned? I hardly know this woman but after that night, I wanted to see her again, but my life completely got in the way. Am I pushing my hand? Fuck. I don't know. I stare at her, gently urging her to give me an answer and after a moment's hesitation, she finally lets out a long, deep sigh.

"**Okay",** I say.

"What?", he asks.

"Fine. I'll try." He looks suddenly relieved and I wonder if I made the right decision. I hardly know this man, but at the same time he never left my mind when he left. Do I really want this?

_Of course you do! _

_Fuck. Not now. _

"We'll take it slow", I continue. "But this doesn't mean I forgive you for leaving."

"Understood."

"Now what?"

"Shit. I don't know."

"Hmm. Me neither." He chuckles at my response and I find myself laughing as well. Okay, maybe this won't be so bad after all. Besides, he's gorgeous. _Holy cow, did I just think that out loud? Focus, Ana. Focus._

Christian drops me off at home and I suddenly feel very giddy inside. Do I really wanna try with this man? After all, it was three years ago and yet here he is, trying to make this work. The last time a man chased me was...

"Got everything you need?", Christian suddenly asks, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah. All good", I smile, hoping to reassure him.

"Hey", he says gently and reaches up to tenderly stroke my cheek with his fingertips. _Holy shit..._

"If you want out, then just tell me. I didn't mean to overwhelm you like that." God, he's beautiful.

"It's fine. Juts give me some time and we'll see where it goes from there."

"Good", he smiles and for a second I think he's going to kiss me but instead, he reaches for the door and pulls it open, allowing me to enter.

"Tomorrow?", he asks, hopeful.

"Sure", I reply then, on impulse, I lean up and kiss him swiftly on the cheek. Before he can react, I quickly turn on my heel and head inside. _Holy shit. This is gonna be harder than I thought._

As I reach the tops of the stairs, I unlock the door and enter my apartment, and once I close the door, I put my head in my hands.

_What the hell am I doing? _

It was three fucking years and yet here I am, apparently _dating_ him again. Can I do this? After our conversation, I have a feeling he's not telling me something, but honestly, I'm not sure I wanna know. _God, I wanna know if I'm making a mistake._ Before I can ponder it any further, I hear the door fly open and look to see Kate panicked and shocked to see me home.

"Kate, what's wrong?", I inquire. _Is she okay?_

"Ana, come downstairs. Elliot's hurt."

"What? What happened?"

"Just come downstairs, please. Elliot's been shot."


	3. Chapter Two

We're sitting in the waiting room, anticipating impatiently for any news on Elliot. We managed to stop the bleeding for now but the wound looks far worse than we could've imagined. It's been almost an hour—maybe longer or even less—since we arrived and Kate's been pacing for just about as long.

"Jesus, what's taking so long?", she asks for what feels like the millionth time. I wish I could help her more but I do know one thing, I'm not leaving her side.

"Kate, sit down. The doctors should be out soon", I say in an attempt to reassure her.

"But why is it taking so long? I need to know now", she replies, exasperated. She runs a hand through her hair but ultimately decides to take a seat next to me, fidgeting wildly and hardly sitting still. _Oh, Kate..._

"He's gonna be okay. I promise", I say as I reach for her hands and clasp them gently. Finally, she relaxes and wipes away a stray tear running down her cheek. I've never seen her like this before, not even during a final. I give her hands one more squeeze and she relaxes even more.

"God, I hate being on edge like this", she huffs.

"Just try to think of something else", I offer.

"How was your date with Mr. Grey?", she asks and I'm close to rolling my eyes at her. _Ah, the Kate Kavanagh Inquisition. _

"It wasn't a date, Kate, it was a negotiation", I correct her.

"What did he want?" I sigh before answering.

"He wants to get back together", I whisper. Kate gapes at me and I chance an eye-roll. _Yeah, I know._

"Is he serious? After what he did to you?"

"Apparently he thinks I'm that easy to convince."

"Did he say why he left?"

"Just that he was in trouble; he didn't really explain." Kate's eyes widen and I'm stuck in the Kavanagh Inquisition again.

**I** walk home, feeling relieved but unsure of myself. She said yes but am I making the right decision? I hardly know this woman.

_You hardly knew Elena. _

_I know._ But that was a different case. Elena was...adventurous, and I fell victim to her advances. It was fun, I'll admit, but it's hard for me to keep tabs on a woman when she makes it sound like fucking's her last stop. God, no wonder I was single.

_Fuck. _

Can I really pull this off?

**"****And** that's all he said?", Kate asks once I give her what information I had.

"For now. Does he really think I'm that stupid to take him back? I need a little more than a troubled past to fall in that easily."

"Are you even considering it?"

"I don't know", I sigh. "Kate, he gave me the best night of my life and then left me behind. Then, he comes back and still leaves me in the dark? I'm not stupid. If he wanted to break up, then why not be a real man and let me know how he felt?"

"Does his return mean anything for you? If it meant nothing to him, then he wouldn't have come back."

"But why come back now? Why not come back when all this first started?"

"You think his situation was really that serious?"

"If it was, there's no excuse for leaving me like that."

**I **pull up outside Escala and lock my car before heading inside. I enter the code, 1982, and soon the doors open allowing me to enter. I ride in silence to my penthouse but my thoughts are still flooded with Miss Steele. She took me back. She's willing to try.

_Don't blow this, Grey. _

Hopefully, it won't come to that, but I doubt that'll happen. Still, I can try.

Entering my apartment, I head for the kitchen, pull out a bottle of Chablis and pour myself a glass.

_Yeah, I'd be willing to try._ After Elena, I'm more than willing to try.

**"****Are** you sure you wanna do this?", Kate asks as she keeps glancing up and down the hallway. I let out a deep sigh before answering.

"I don't know. I mean seriously, three years? How am I supposed to be okay with that?"

"At least it wasn't you."

"What if it was?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kate, he didn't even elaborate just why he was in trouble. If I'm supposed to take him seriously, how do I know he's telling the truth?"

"Did he give any indication he was lying to you?"

"Not really, but how many men have actually told me the truth?"

"Ana, I know you're hurt and all, but maybe you shouldn't be so hard on the guy. He came back to see you; does that sound like a guy that doesn't care?"

"It's not that simple. After Jack..." Just then, I look up to see Boyce heading our way and after excusing myself, head up to see him.

"Ana! I heard about what happened", he exclaims as he pulls me in for a hug.

"Boyce, how did you get here?"

"Grace called me. She told me what happened." Sometimes I forget how close we really are.

"Is he okay?", he asks once he pulls away.

"Nothing yet but we're staying hopeful. Come and sit down. Kate could use the support", I state and together, we head back to Kate and she immediately stands as Boyce gives her a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Kate. I hope he'll be alright."

"Thanks, Boyce", she remarks as she fights off her tears and lets him go. Finally, we see a nurse approaching us and fortunately, she doesn't look worried.

"Is he okay?", Kate asks once she gets closer.

"He's gonna be fine. The bullet was a through-and-through and we were able to stop the bleeding. In a few weeks, he should be back to normal."

"Thank God", I exclaim.

"Can we go and see him?", Boyce asks.

"Of course but he's gonna need some rest. If you'll follow me, you can visit for a few minutes."

Some time passes and Kate looks relieved. Her and Elliot have been talking nonstop and honestly, I've never heard her talk so much in my life.

"Why were those guys after you?", Kate asks as she grips Elliot's hand.

"I honestly have no idea", he remarks as tries to sit up and groans as he helps him and adjusts the pillow to make him more comfortable.

"I was going for a jog and next thing I knew, some guys pulled up in a van and shot me in the chest."

"Oh my God", Kate gasps.

"Thank God Kate was coming by when she did", Boyce interjects as the nurse takes some notes on a notepad. Has she been doing this the whole time?

"Maybe next time you should just move in so I could see you all the time", Kate responds as she takes Elliot's hand and gives it a tender kiss.

"Wouldn't mind that idea at all", he smirks and for the first time since the incident, she laughs at his remark.

"Okay, you all need to leave. Mr. Grey needs his rest."

"Karen, I told you to call me Elliot. Only my douchebag brother goes by that name."

"Sorry, Elliot", she remarks before rolling her eyes at his comment. Kate gives him a tender kiss and we all head outside, silently thanking God that he's gonna be okay.

"You wanna go for a drink? First round's on me", Boyce suggests.

"I think I'm stay here for a while. I wanna be there when he wakes up", Kate retorts before wiping a tear from her cheek.

"You want me to stay?", I offer.

"No, it's okay. I'll call you if I need anything, though", she jokes and I roll my eyes in response. _Yep, that's Kate alright. Bossy as ever._

"Okay. I'll be awaiting your call", I remark before giving her a friendly kiss on the cheek and heading out with Boyce.

"Now you wanna tell me about your run-down with Mr. Grey?", he asks once we're outside.

"Is everybody interested in my one-night stand with him?"

"Just trying to look out for you, Ana. You wanna talk about it?"

"I would much rather talk about anything besides Mr. Grey."

"Fine, I can take the hint", he retorts as he throws his hands up in defense. Rolling my eyes, I step in his car as he holds open the door and the next thing I know, we're on our way to The Bunker Club.

**"****And** that douchebag seriously wants you back?", Boyce asks after his third margarita.

"I thought we agreed not to discuss him at all", I say quietly as I take another swig of a Cosmo.

"Ana, I'm your best friend, apart from Kate...do you seriously expect me not to care about you at all?"

"Boyce..."

"No, listen. This jackass leaves you after a one-night stand, comes back with a bullshit excuse, and actually says that he wants to take you back? For real?"

"Jesus, Boyce, thanks for summing up my life", I respond, exasperated.

"Sorry Ana but come on, you really don't wanna go through with this madness, do you?"

"Madness? Boyce, it was one night."

"And you still don't know the full reason why he left."

"Boyce, Kate already ran me through how ludicrous this all is, so I don't need another rundown of the situation. Can we just end it there? I feel like I'm on repeat."

"Sorry, Ana. But come on, do you wanna be back together with this guy or not?"

"Boyce, it's not that simple."

"And need I remind you of the kiss you gave him?"

"What about it?"

"Have you forgiven him for what happened?"

"Of course not but when it comes to men, I'm used to being hurt."

"Ana..."

"No, Boyce, please just drop it. Sure, it's insane and I'm still a little sore about it, but that doesn't mean we're fine. If he wants me back, he's gonna have to earn it."

"And you're sure about that?"

"When am I not?"

"Okay, fine", he sighs. "Just don't let him get under your skin like this. If he ever hurts you again, I won't be far behind."

"I appreciate that. Least I know some decent guys exist in my life."

"And none come in shinier armor than me", he winks and I can't help my laugh.

**After** Boyce drops me off at home, I head up the stairs—thankful I only had two drinks instead of three—and pull out my keys before unlocking the door. I set my keys and bag on the couch and hang up my jacket before checking my phone for any missed calls. There's one text from Kate saying she won't be home so with that, I head for my room to plug in my phone for the night. I change in a silk nightgown and tie my hair up but as I'm looking at my reflection in the mirror, I have the feeling that someone's watching me, and I'm the only one here. Tightening the ponytail in my hair, I cautiously check every room, closet and anything in-between but fortunately, there's no-one else in sight. I breathe a sigh of relief and as part of a meditation, go over today's events: Elliot's shooting; my talk with Kate; my talk with Boyce and Christian Fucking Grey. Shit, why did I agree to take him back? Am I really that desperate or I'm curious about what happened?

_"__You were on the run?" _

_"__More or less, yes." _

_"__But what was going on?" _

_"__It's hard to say but, I just wanted you to know that I didn't leave because of you." _

What the fuck does that even mean and more importantly, why the fuck do I even care? Taking a deep breath, I coax myself to finally calm down.

Is this really that big a deal? If so, why am I getting so hostile about it? It's not like leaving me was the worst thing he could've done and on top of that, it seems he had a reason.

_Maybe. _

_Shit._ Do I wanna know?

After a few calming breaths, I walk back towards my bedroom and pick up my cell before texting Mr. Grey. Like I told Boyce, if he really wants me back, he's gonna have to earn it, and maybe then I'll consider my clemency.


End file.
